Formaldehyde Safety Training

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FormaldehydeSafety Training
University of Tennessee Environmental Health and
Safety
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Overview

• Introduction to OSHA Standard for Formaldehyde
• Requirements of regulation
• Permissible exposure limits (PELs)
• Routes of exposure and health effects
• Protective measures
• Handling and storage of formaldehyde
• Spills and accidents
• Medical surveillance
• Waste management

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29 CFR 1910.1048 Formaldehyde

• OSHA regulates occupational exposures to
  formaldehyde
• Scope of 29 CFR 1910.1048
• This standard applies to all occupational
  exposures to formaldehyde, including exposure to
• formaldehyde gas
• formaldehyde solutions (formalin)
• materials that release formaldehyde

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29 CFR 1910.1048 Formaldehyde

• Requirements
• Must have an MSDS available in the lab
• Written training materials must be available to
  employees
• Must establish regulated areas where airborne
  concentrations of formaldehyde exceed the OSHA
  permissible exposure limits (PEL) and/or
  short-term exposure limits (STEL)
• Medical surveillance must be provided to
  employees who may be exposed to formaldehyde at
  concentrations exceeding the PEL or STEL
• Exposure monitoring will be conducted if
  formaldehyde concentrations in the workplace
  exceed the action level

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Permissible Exposure Levels

• OSHA requires that regulated areas be established
  where airborne formaldehyde concentrations exceed
  the OSHA PEL and/or STEL values

OSHA PEL (averaged over 8 h) 0.75 ppm
OSHA STEL (maximum of 15 min/day) 2 ppm
OSHA Action level (averaged over 8 h) 0.5 ppm
ACGIH STEL (maximum of 15 min/day) Note, this is a ceiling value that must never be exceeded 0.3 ppm C

• A written plan must be developed and implemented
  whenever an employee is exposed above the PEL

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Regulated Areas

• Regulated areas shall have danger signs posted at
  entrances and access ways

• Only authorized personnel shall enter regulated
  areas

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Potential health hazards acute

• Exposure routes
• Inhalation
• Sore throat, coughing, shortness of breath
• Sensitization of respiratory tract
• 25-30 ppm pulmonary edema and pneumonitis
• Ingestion
• Severe abdominal pain, violent vomiting,
  headache, diarrhea, unconsciousness and death
• Methanol used to stabilize the formaldehyde
  solution poses additional toxic hazards

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Potential health hazards acute (cont.)

• Exposure routes (cont.)
• Skin contact
• Irritation and/or burns cracking, scaling, white
  discoloration
• Can be absorbed through skin
• Eye contact
• Irritation from vapors, pain, blurred vision
• May cause irreversible damage if splashed in eyes

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Potential health hazards chronic

• Long-term effects
• Sensitizer
• May cause contact dermatitis, other allergic
  reactions
• Vision impairment and liver enlargement from
  methanol
• Carcinogen
• May cause cancer
• Mutagen
• May cause mutations in DNA

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Report adverse signs and symptoms

• Know how to report exposures and
  illnesses/injuries that are related to the job
• Tell your supervisor immediately
• Remember symptoms develop over time, so adverse
  effects may not be immediately noticeable
• The perception of formaldehyde by odor and eye
  irritation becomes less sensitive with time as
  one adapts to formaldehyde
• This can lead to overexposure if a worker is
  relying on formaldehyde's warning properties to
  alert him or her to the potential for exposure

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Protecting yourselfEngineering and work
practice controls

• Primary methods of exposure control
• Engineering controls
• Always use formalin in a chemical fume hood
• Check that it is properly functioning
• Work practices
• Use the smallest amount of formalin necessary
• Buy in smaller quantities
• Use safer alternatives whenever possible

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Personal protective equipment

• For working with 37 formalin or 10 formalin
• Protective clothing (lab coats, aprons, suits)
• Tychem CPF2, SL, CPF3, F, CPF 4, BR, LV,
  Responder, TK, or Reflector all have breakthrough
  times gt480 min
• Gloves (required when using gt1 formalin)
• Nitrile (gt360 min) is the best choice
• Neoprene (105 min), or PVC (100 min) are ok
• Rubber or Neoprene/rubber are ok for short use
  (10-15 min)
• PVA gloves are not recommended

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Personal protective equipment (cont.)

• For working with formalin at any concentration,
  splash-proof goggles are required
• Formaldehyde contact with the eye can range from
  transient discomfort to severe, permanent corneal
  clouding and loss of vision

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Personal protective equipment (cont.)

• Storage of PPE
• Store away from sources of formaldehyde
• Formaldehyde vapors can permeate the lab coat or
  glove material, reducing its barrier-properties
• Inspect all PPE prior to use
• Check for holes, cracks, degradation
• Change gloves frequently
• Just because the breakthrough time is gt360 min
  doesnt mean you should use one pair of gloves
  for 6 hours.
• Do not reuse disposable gloves

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Personal protective equipment (cont.)

• Respirators are required
• during periods necessary to implement engineering
  and work practice controls
• in operations where engineering controls and work
  practices are not feasible
• in operations where engineering controls and work
  practices do not prevent exposure below the PEL
• in emergencies (spill response)
• If you use formalin in a fume hood, you should
  not need to wear a respirator

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Personal protective equipment (cont.)

• Respirator use follows the requirements given in
  29 CFR 1910.134
• Employees must wear respirators if they are
  required to do so
• If required to wear a respirator, employees must
  have a medical exam (once) and be fit tested
  (annually)
• If you feel you need a respirator, contact EHS
  for further guidance.

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Medical surveillance

• Medical surveillance is required
• prior to assignments to areas where exposure may
  be above STEL
• at least annually where exposure may be at or
  above the STEL
• whenever an employee shows signs/symptoms of
  toxic levels of exposure
• Exposure levels are determined without regard to
  respirator use

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Medical surveillance (cont.)

• Medical surveillance includes
• administration of medical disease questionnaire
• determination if a medical examination is
  necessary
• examinations for employees who are at increased
  risk for exposure to formaldehyde

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Medical surveillance (cont.)

• Medical examinations include
• a physical exam
• laboratory examinations
• any other necessary tests
• counseling of employees
• Written physician opinions include
• physicians opinion about employees medical
  condition
• recommended limitations
• statement of medical conditions

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Medical surveillance (cont.)

• Employees get copies of the written opinions
  within 15 working days

• Records are retained for the duration of
  employment plus 30 years

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Spills and other Emergencies

• If you spill a formaldehyde, or any other
  hazardous chemical, and no one is hurt, and there
  is no risk of fire or explosion, ask yourself if
  you can manage that spill.
• Do you
• Know what was spilled?
• Know the chemical hazards of the spill?
• Have suitable personal protection?
• Have cleanup supplies?

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Spills and other Emergencies

• For minor spills, call EHS at 974-5084 if you
  feel you cannot handle the situation.
• For major spills, or incidents that happen after
  hours, please call UT Police at 911.
• Remember that any waste generated from a spill
  cleanup of a hazardous waste or chemical must be
  managed as a hazardous waste.

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Waste Disposal

• Collect all formaldehyde containing wastes in a
  well-labeled, clean container or double bag
• No formaldehyde should ever be put down the drain
  or in the trash
• Clearly label container with UT hazardous waste
  label
• Store waste in closed containers.
• When the container is full, please bring to one
  of the Waste Rooms or contact EHS at 974-5084.

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Waste can be brought to the following locations
for disposal

• Walters Waste Room WLS
• M-209
• Wednesdays 100-200 p.m.
• SERF Waste Room _at_ loading dock
• 2nd Floor
• Wednesdays 200-300 p.m.
• Do not leave waste unattended!!!!

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Quiz Time

• To complete the Formaldehyde Safety Training
  Module, please click here for the quiz